''Magnolia wilsonii'', or Wilson's magnolia, is a species of '' Magnolia'' native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, in the provinces of western Guizhou, Sichuan and northern Yunnan, where it grows in the forest understory at altitudes of 1,900-3,000 m, rarely up to 3,300 m.

Description

''Magnolia wilsonii'' is a large spreading

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

or small tree growing to tall. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are elliptic to lanceolate, 6–16 cm long and 3–7 cm broad with a 1–3 cm petiole, and have brown pubescence on the underside. The flowers are drooping, 8–12 cm in diameter, with nine (occasionally 12) tepals, the outer three small and greenish, sepal-like, the main six larger and pure white; the

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s and carpels are crimson. Due to their drooping character, the flowers are best viewed from the underside. This species is threatened by habitat destruction and collection for medicinal use (see Houpu magnolia), and regeneration is poor.

Cultivation

''Magnolia wilsonii'', though rare, is in cultivation as an ornamental tree and planted in temperate climate gardens, such as in coastal California. It needs a protected planting location with afternoon shade. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

External links

Flora of China: Magnoliaceae (draft account)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1040016 wilsonii Endemic flora of China Flora of Guizhou Flora of Sichuan Flora of Yunnan Trees of China Garden plants of Asia Ornamental trees